Distributing and collecting system.



R. L. BELK.

DISTRIBUTING AND COLLECTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, I915.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 20-. WAsfiINhToN, D. c.

k R L. BELK. DISTRIBUTING AND COLLECTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 19I5.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. LBELK ROBERT L. IBELK, OF WAXI-IAW, NORTH CAROLINA.

DISTRIBUTING AND COLLECTING SYSTEM.

Application filed May 24, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LARKIN BELK, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVaxhaw, in the county of Union and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Distributing and Collecting Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

My present invention relates broadly to new and useful improvements in distributing and collecting system and in the necessary apparatus therefor and has particular reference to the'provision of a system of the character described which, while it may be efliciently used for distributing or collecting parcels, bundles, or the like in stores or factories or cash carriers in stores, is particularly designed for use in thedelivery and collection of mails either in cities or in rural districts.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a delivery and collection system of the character above described in which the apparatus is constructed and designed with such regard to construction, number and arrangement of parts, that it may be cheaply manufactured, will be durable and efiicient in service, and may be readily installed for use with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a collection and delivery system which includes as its essential elements, an overhead track which may be strung from the central station or post oflice over the territory to be covered, a power driven tender which is movable over the track, and a plurality of carriers or cars which are movable along the track and are actuated by means of the tender.

A further object of the invention is to equip the carriers or cars with a novel form of coupling, by means of which they may be connected to each other and to the tender, and to associate with the couplings, controlling means arranged to engage trip members which are supported over the track at each receiving station; whereby, as the train of cars passes a receiving station, the particu lar car which is intended to be left at the station being passed will be released and the car allowed to come to a stop.

In connection with the above cited objects I aim to provide coupling controlling mechanism for each carrier and to construct Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916..

Serial No. 30,194.

the coupling controlling mechanism of the several cars with such relation to each other that the trip member at each receiving station may be disposed to act upon no other couphng controlling mechanism than that carried by the car which it is intended shall be left at the station.

An additional object is to provide a novel form of guide for the cables which are connected to the tender and operate to move the same along the track, the guide members being so constructed that they may be efficiently employed, on curves and at those points where the grade of the road changes, to prevent the cables from jumping from the proper place.

A further object is to provide a cable guide, one member of which is movable and normally projects over the cables but is adapted to be swung to one side by a keel carried by the tender so that this memberpcay pass the guide member without obstruc- Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of truck for the tender and carrier and to so design the track engaging members of the truck that there will be little or no possibility of these members jumping off the track.

The above and other incidental objects of a similar nature, which will be hereinafter more specifically treated, are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the ac companying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention, as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the complete collection and delivery apparatus set up for use; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in side elevation of a car and tender mounted upon the track, a portion of the winding drums for the tender drawing cable being shown in section and various portions of the car and tender, as well as the cable guide at the receiving station, being also shown in section; Fig. 3 is aface view looking into the receiving station and showing a part of the cable guide in section. In this figure a car is shown as entering the receiving sta tion. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in top plan of the cable guide, the saddle portion of the receiving station being shown in horizontal section; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view looking down upon the sleepers of the receiving station and showing the saddle of this member and the inner ends of the sleepers in horizontal section to better disclose the arrangement of the rollers in the guide; Fig. 6 is a detail view in top plan of the guide for the tender cable at the outer end of the track; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view showing the connection between the winding drum of the tender cable and the drive wheel, which may be operated either by a hand crank, engine or motor to operate the drmn; Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the track wheels and the corner portion of a truck frame with the various elements of the track wheel in disassembled relation; Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the preferred form of coupling employed in conmeeting the tender and cars to each other, the various elements of the coupling being shown in disassembled relation, but indicating the manner in which they are to be as sembled to form an operative coupling; Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view showing the manner in which the track cables are supported upon the upper ends of the saddle arms at the receiving station; Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of the guide employed in connection with the tender cable, the several elements of the guide being shown in disassembled relation; Fig. 12 is a detail view of the ball which forms a portion of the coupling and the supporting rod employed in connection. with the ball; and Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the manner in which the rollers of the tender cable guide are assembled.

In taking up the detailed description of the apparatus employed in the present system reference will first be had to Fig. 1 in which the apparatus is best disclosed as an operative entirety. Upon reference to this figure it will be seen that there is provided an overhead track A along which is mounted a number of receiving stations generally designated by the letter B and that a tender 0 is arranged for movement over this track for conveying a number of carriers or cars D.

The overhead track heretofore generally designated by the letter A consists in two cables 10 and 11 which are relatively heavy and are terminally supported by trestles 12 and 13. Each of these trestles 12 and 13 includes a pair of uprights 14. and a pair of diagonal braces 15, the uprights and diagonal braces being connected by suitable horizontal braces indicated at 16. Transverse braces orbeams indicated at 17 may be pro vided to brace the uprights so that they will be firm and rigid with respect to each other. Extending between the upper end of the uprights of each trestle is a rod as indicated at 17. To these rods are secured the terminals of the cables as is best disclosed in Fig. 1.

In order. to support the intermediate points of the cables in case the track is of considerable length I provide the U-sliaped saddles 18, which constitute a portion of the receiving stations and are, as illustrated. in Fig. 1, particularly mounted. upon the head beam 20 of a T-support indicated at 21. The upper ends of these saddles are provided with substantially U-shaped cable receiving plates 22 in the bight portion of which the cables are received and the arms of which are secured against the opposite sides thereof by rivets, bolts or equivalent fastening devices. In practice it has been found dcsirable to accompany the arms on the saddles at receiving stations with braces 23 which are terminally secured at their lower ends to the head bar of the T support and serve to hold the arms of the saddle in rigid upright position. i

It is now to be explained that under ordinary circumstances the receiving stations are close enough together to adequately sup port the cables but that in case the receiving stations are a considerable distance apart, supports equivalent to the T support 21 and saddles 18 above described may be provided at intermediate points for properly supporting the cables.

In moving the tender along the track I employ a continuous cable 2+1, the terminals of which are secured to the keel of the tender (to be hereinafter described). At one end of the track, the cable is passed over a pulley wheel 26 and is wound at its other end about a drum indicated at 27. The pulley 26 is journaled on an axle 28 which extends between the uprights of the trestle 13. A pair of guard platesindicated at 29 are engaged with the axle and disposed on opposite sides of the pulley wheel. These guard plates are brought together at an in termediate point and connected by a bolt as indicated at 29' and are mounted at their inner ends upon a transverse rod 30 which extends between the diagonal braces of the trestle 11. Between the pulley and the connected portion of the guard plates there is mounted a transverse roller 31 which is adapted to serve as an anti-friction bearing for the lower strand of the cable as best disclosed in Fig. 6.

The winding drum is mounted upon an axle 32, which is terminally journaled in the uprights of the trestle 12, and is driven from a belt wheel 33 by means of a belt or a chain indicated at 34. At this point it is desired to explain that if the carriers are to travel over a relatively short track, a hand crank indicated at 35 may be applied to the belt wheel but that if the track is relatively long and the cars must travel over a considerable distance, a motor or engine is applied as the motive power. In advance of the winding drum I mount a vertically disposed roller 36 which is formed preferably from a length of pipe which is loosely mounted on a vertical rod 37 the terminals of which are oppositely directed and are connected to the rod 17 and to the transverse brace 38 at the lower end. It will be readily apparent upon reference to Fig. 2, that the roller serves as a means for separating the upper and lower strands of the cable so that the cable will wind up on one side of the drum and will unwind from the other side of the drum.

As a means for properly guiding the cable at turns and at those points of the track where the grade changes, I employ a guide member generally designated at G in Fig. 3. This guide member includes a pair of horizontally disposed, vertically spaced rollers 39, apair of vertically disposed, transversely spaced rollers 40 which are associated with the rollers 38 in. a manner to be hereinafter explained and a swingingly mounted roller 41. The rollers 39 are terminally journaled in the inner ends of a pair of sleepers 42 which are mounted upon the base portion of the saddle at the receiving station (or the saddle of a T support in case some of these members are disposed at intermediate points between the receiving stations.) The sleepers are transversely spaced as disclosed in Fig. 3, to provide a space between their inner ends wherein may be disposed the rollers 39 and 40. The lower strand of the cable is adaptedto pass between the rollers 39 and to be held against both up and down movement thereby. The vertical rollers 40 are journaled at their lower ends in the base portion of the saddle and at their upper ends in the overhanging terminals of a pair of L-shaped bracket plates 43 which are mounted upon the sleepers. The rollers 40 are disposed on opposite sides of the lower strand of the cable and serve as anti-friction bearings for this member particularly at those portions of the track in which a curve is made. The upper strand of the cable is adapted to rest upon the uppermost horizontal roller 39. It is now to be observed that the vertical rollers 40 extend above the uppermost roller 39 and thus perform the same function in connection with the upper strand of the cable as previously attributed to them in regard t the lower strand.

As a means for preventing the upper 1 strand of the cable from jumping out of the space between the inner ends of the sleep ers I provide the swingingly mounted roller heretofore designated by the numeral 41. This member 41 is journaled in the depending ears 44 carried by the outer end of a swinging arm, generally designated at 45. These ears are formed on the outer ends of the spaced bracket plates 46, which are secured to the upper and lower faces of the block 45 and are connected at their outer ends by a pin or bolt 47 which member is freely mounted in an arcuate slot 48 formed in the attaching plate 49. The attaching plate 49 is mounted upon a block 50 where by this slotted portion is spaced above the sleeper as best disclosed in Fig. 11. A leaf spring indicated at 51 is secured at its inner end to the attaching plate and projects into the block 45 and is adapted to normally hold this member in transverse relation to the track whereby the roller41 is disposed above the upper strands of the cable to prevent this member from becoming displaced. As a guide for the swinging arm 45, I employ a substantially arcuate guide member 52, which is secured upon the lL-shaped plate 43 and loosely receives the arm 45 so that while this member may swing freely it may not move vertically.

It will now be seen that the two strands of the cable are eilicicntly guided and that the guide employed is of such design that it may be effectively applied atthose points whereat the grade of the track changes or where a curve is made.

It is thought that the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings make readily apparent the manner in which the cars and tender are supported and the means employed in moving these members over the route. Reference will now therefore be had particularly to Fig. 2 in which the tender is illustrated in detail. As shown in this figure, the tender includes a truck frame 53, a box or casing 54, a keel 55, and a coupling member generally designated by the letter H.

The truck frame is preferably constituted of a pair of parallel side bars 57 and a pair of end bars 58, which members are bolted or otherwise secured to each other to constitute a rigid rectangular frame. The box of the tender is secured to the truck frame by means of the U-shaped hangers 59, the upper ends of which are secured to the frame. The keel is preferably formed from a bar of metal, or a slab of wood faced with sheet metal, and is substantially wedge shaped in cross section. This keel is provided as a means for swinging the roller 41 to permit the tender to pass through the receiving stations. It will be obvious upon reference to Fig. 2 that as the tender passes through the station the keel will engage the arm 45, swinging this member against the tension of the spring 51. The. terminals of the keel are provided with hooks or eyes indicated at 60 to receive the terminals of the cable.

To the terminals of the side bars of the truck frame are secured the track wheels, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. Upon reference to this figure it will be seen that each wheel consists of a substantially U-shaped bracket 61, the bight portion of which is swivelly connected to the truck frame so that its arm portions may embrace the track cable. In the bracket plate and at the upper portion thereof is journaled a horizontal roller 62 which is grooved and is adapted to ride upon the track cable. As a means for taking up the lateral thrust when the truck frame sways transversely with respect to the track, as when the tender is taking a curve, I employ a pair of vertical rollers 63 which are transversely spaced and are disposed on opposite sides of the track cable. These rollers are journaled at their upper terminals in the top of the bracket and are journaled at their lower terminals in the inwardly extending cars 64 carried by the lower terminals of the bracket.

It will now be apparent that the tender may be easily and freely drawn along the track by means of the cable and that the track wheels of the truck frame are of such design that friction will be reduced to a min.- imum.

The carriers or cars in which the bundles of mail or parcels are contained are all similar in construction and are'in general design equivalent to the tender each consisting as it does of a box or casing 65 which is suspended from a truck frame 66 by means of the U-shaped hangers 67. The truck frame of each carrier is provided with track wheels 68 equivalent to the track wheels of the tender.

In connecting the cars or carriers to the tender so that the tender may draw. these cars over the track on the out trip, I employ couplings which include in the tender carried member generally designated in Fig. 2

by the numeral 69. This coupling member- 69 which constitutes the male element of the coupling, consists of a ball 7 0, formed 011 the free end of a rod 71, and a chain 72, which is secured to a hook 7 8 carried by a longitudinal buffer bar 7 a mounted upon the tender. The ball 70 is prevented from dropping below the top of the box portion of the tender by the supporting rod 71 which is pivoted at its inner terminal upon the truck frame of the tender and is securely connected by a link 76 to the ball. As will be hereinafter explained, the supporting rod is adapted to swing to position over the top of the tender, carrying the ball member with it when the tender and cars are making the return trip.

The female coupling member includes a pair of socket plates 76 and 77, the former of which is fixed upon the longitudinal buffer bar 78 of the car, and the latter of which is pivotally mounted above the fixed socket plate upon an axle 79 which is secured in a U-shaped supporting bracket 80. The ball 70 is adapted to seat in the sockets 81 of the socket plates 76 and 77 and to be held against withdrawal therefrom by means of a coupling controlling mechanism to be next described.

This coupling controlling mechanism includes a pivoted locking dog 82 which consists of a substantially U-shaped body portion 83 and a right angularly extending arm 84, which latter member is secured to the bight portion of the body. The body of the locking dog is pivoted at its inner end on an axle 85 mounted between the upper ends of the arms 86 of a U-shaped bracket plate which is mounted upon the buffer bar 78. In the rear of the locking dog is mounted upon the buffer bar 78 a bearing bracket 86, to the upper end of which is pivoted a substantially U-shaped bracket 87. The member 87 is connected to the locking dogs by means of a leaf spring 88 the forward terminal of which is secured upon a transverse pin 89 to the body portion of the locking dog and the rear end of which is secured upon an axle 90 extending between the arm or side portions of the bracket 87 at the rear ends thereof. Secured to the bracket 87 is a substantially L-shaped trip lever 91 the one arm of which is vertically disposed when the locking dog is in position to lock the socket plates in mating relation to each other. It will now be seen, particularly upon reference to Fig. 2 that when the trip lever is swung into vertical position it will carry the bracket 87 forwardly into approximate horizontal position so that the axle 90 will be disposed below a horizontal plane passing through the pivot of said bracket. Since the leaf spring 88 normally tends to straighten out, it is obvious that it will in the position shown in Fig. 2 tend to yieldably prevent the upward movement of the locking dog and that this member will not be released from engagement with the movable socket plate until the trip lever is swung rearwardly.

From the foregoing description it will now be seen that the cars may readily be coupled to the tender and to each other by the coupling mechanism employed. The manner in which the cars are adapted to be uncoupled so as to leave the proper car at the receiving station for which it is made up will therefore be next explained. In this connection reference will be had particularly to Fig. 1 where it will be seen that above the saddle of each receiving station rises a substantially U-shaped trip frame 93 which is preferably formed from a rod of steel or other metal. Obviously if the trip lever on a particular carrier or car is of sufficient length for it to engage with the horizontal portion of the trip 93, it will be caught by this member and swung downwardly to approximate horizontal position with a consequent releasing of the locking dog. Of course the release of the locking dog will cause the uncoupling of the car from the next adjacent car. It now becomes apparent that it will be necessary in the present system to design the trips at the receiving stations and the trip levers of the several cars in such manner that all of the cars except the last one of the train may pass through the first receiving station, all of the cars except the next to the last through the second receiving station on the out trip, etc. Thus the trains may be made up so that the first car to be dropped is disposed at the end of the train and is provided with a trip lever which is the only one of the entire train of cars which is of sufiicient length to engage the trip of the first receiving station. Thus as the train of cars pulled by the tender pass along the track on the out trip, the trip lever of the last car will be engaged by the trip of the first receiving station and this last car will be thus uncoupled from the train. It is now desired to direct particular attention to the fact that under the present system the trip lever acts not only as a meansfor uncou pling the car to be left at the receiving station from the train but also serves as a brake for bringing the uncoupled car to astop. After the tender has reached the end of the track on the out trip all of the cars will have been uncoupled and left at the proper receiving station. The direction of rotation of the coupling winding drum may then be reversed so as to move the tender back along the track to the home or sending station. As the tender moves back it will take up the first car by merely bumping thereagainst and without being coupled to this first car. The function of the buffer bars 74 and 78 will now become apparent for it will be seen that the rubber blocks 9a carried by the terminals of these members will engage, preventing damage to the ends of the cars. After the first car has been picked up the tender will move along until it reaches the next receiving station where the first car picked up will bump against the second car and carry this member along. The same system for pickingnp the cars upon the return trip will follow until the home station is reached where they may again be coupled to each other for the next out trip.

It is thought that the foregoing descrip tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings will make it apparent that the embodiment of my invention herein disclosed efficiently accomplishes all of the objects initially set forth and that it will be readily appreciated that while the present system and the apparatus employed in car rying out the system are especially designed for use in rural mail routes they may be nevertheless employed in department stores for cash carriers or in any business wherein it is desired to have an overhead carrier service for conveying parcels or packages from one point to another within the plant.

In reduction to practice, itv has been found that the form of this invention illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment is the most ellicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarily var it isdesirable to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to when required, Without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A distribution and collection system including a track, a car mounted to travel upon said track, a tender for the car coupled thereto, a cable having one stretch connected to the tender for operating the same, a spring-held roller disposed above and bearing upon said stretch of the cable, and means on the tender to displace said roller.

2. A distribution and collection system including a track, a car mounted to travel upon said track, a tender mounted upon the track and coupled to said car, an operating cable having one stretch connected to the tender, a guide for the other stretch of'the cable, a spring-held pivotally mounted element, means carried by said element and normally bearing upon the first-named stretch of the cable, and means on the tender to engage and displace said element from its normal position in the passage of the tender over the guide.

3. A distribution and collection system including tracks, a plurality of stations located along the tracks, cars movable along the tracks, draft means for the cars, couplings connecting the cars, a release arm mounted upon each car, and controlling the coupling by which the car is connected to the next car in advance of it, the release arms for the several cars of the trains being all of different heights, and a trip member at each station, said trip members being also of different heights, whereby each trip is engageable with but one of the release arms of the train of cars for uncoupling from the train of cars, that particular car which is intended for the station.

a. A distribution and collection system including tracks, a plurality of stations located along the tracks, cars movable along the tracks, a tender, couplings connecting the. cars to each other and to the tender, a draft cable for the tender, means controlling the draft cable for moving the tender in either direction on the track, trip means at the receiving stations for uncoupling the cars from each other and from the tender on the out trip ofthe tender, said tender being adapted to pick up the cars which have been left at the receiving stations upon its in trip, and to push them to the sending station after being coupled to them, and releasing bumper blocks mounted on the ends of the tender and on each end of each car, the bumper blocks of the adjacent car being adapted to engage when the cars are picked up by the tender on the in trip, of the tender.

5. A collection and distribution system including tracks, a plurality of stations located along the tracks, cars movable along the tracks, a. tender for moving the train of cars along the tracks, a draft cable connected to the tender and operable for moving the same in either direction along the tracks, a plurality of guide members located at intermediate points along the tracks, for the reception of-the draft cable, said guides being provided with fixed vertical rollers, a swingingly mounted horizontal roller which traverses the space between the vertical rollers to hold the draft cableagainst upward movement from the space between the fixed rollers.

6. A collection and distribution system including tracks, a plurality of stations located along the tracks, cars movable along the tracks, a tender for moving the train of cars along the tracks, a draft cable connectedto the tender and operable for moving the same in either direction along the tracks, a plurality of guide members located at intermediate points along the tracks, for the reception of the draft cable,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the said guides being provided with fixed vertical rollers, a swingingly mounted horizontal roller which traverses the space between the vertical rollers to hold the draft cable against upward movement from the space between the fixed roller, and a keel carried by the tender, said keel being engageable with the movable roller for swinging the same to one side as the tender passes over the guides.

7. A distribution and collection system including tracks, a plurality of stations located along the tracks, cars movable along the tracks, each of said cars including a substantially rectangular truck frame, track Wheels mounted at the corners of the frame, a body member, and U-shaped hangers depending from the truck frame and supporting the body member beneath the frame.

8. A distribution and collection system including a track, a plurality of stations lo cated along the track, cars movable along the track, each of said cars including a substantially rectangular truck frame, a track wheel mounted at each corner thereof, each of said track wheels including a substantially U-shaped bracket swivelly secured to the truck frame, a pair of transversely spaced vertical rollers journaled in the bracket, and a horizontal roller traversing the space between the vertical rollers and adapted to rest upon the track, a body member, and hangers suspending the body members from the truck frames, and draft means for moving the cars along the track.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ai'lix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. BELK. Witnesses JOHN GRIFFITH,

M. A. BELK.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

